


Only Angel

by dollalpaca



Series: Victoria's Secret AU [1]
Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, F/F, Victoria's Secret AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2020-07-20 14:48:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19993984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dollalpaca/pseuds/dollalpaca
Summary: Life as a high fashion model is a dream for some and a nightmare for others, depending on what the media decides to make out about you. On the months before the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, many of the Angels get tangled into scandals regarding the way they turned in angels, romances with fellow models and heart breaks that end up documented thanks to social media.





	1. Only A Job

**Author's Note:**

> Welp here it is!! I been teasing and writing ficlets for this project for over a year now, being pearlet at the beginning, now it's a coctail of ships and tbh i ain't mad about it. If you're not familiar with the VSFS, that's not a problem! This fic is pretty clear itself, though I do advise watching it, it's so damn good! Title comes from Harry Styles song, because he sang in the 2017 Shanghai show and it fit the segment so well, it'd be a sin if I didn't pay homage to it.  
> That being said, there's not really an update schedule, cause we die like men. A million thanks to Frey for beta-ing this!! ❤

The moment Scarlet became a Victoria’s Secret Angel, her life changed forever. 

She had just arrived home from a gig, her body sore from the hours of standing in a corset and stilettos, walking the runway after runway. It was okay, she thought, one day it’d all be worth it. 

Her career was rather fresh and at the very beginning; she joined the IMG Models family thanks to her manager and older sister, Pearl Liaison, pulling some strings — Pearl was a current Victoria’s Secret Angel, one of the most popular, actually. Her name was a powerhouse, it was convenient for IMG Models to have her little sister on their company, odds were she would break out and achieve her sister’s level of fame at some point.

That had yet to happen, but Scarlet didn't lose hope.

She was coming off from the shower when her phone went off, the name of her manager appearing on the screen. 

“Nina, if you’re going to tell me I have to do yet another show tomorrow, I’m gonna scream,” she whined. Although she loved her job and the thrill of having all eyes on her, she had been booked for the entire week, including the weekend. All she wanted to do was catch some sleep.

“Oh, you’ll love what I have to tell you, trust me,” Nina assured in a cheery tone. Scarlet could see the smile on her face. “I have news from the casting director of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.” Scarlet nearly passed out.

The casting for the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show had taken place five days earlier, and over a thousand girls attended, among them was Scarlet. It was her third — maybe fourth — try. She longed for the day she’d be able to join her sister in such an iconic show.

Just like every year, she greeted the panel of judges, told one or two jokes, walked on the runway and did random poses, had a small interview about why she wanted to be on the show, and for the first time she mentioned Pearl: she talked about how much it’d mean to walk the runway with her sister, to be able to share this moment and spend time with her, since they hadn’t seen each other in a while.

Years before, she’d never say she was Pearl’s sister — well, half sister, to be exact. Nobody would think they were even half related, they were so different in every possible way. 

Ed Razek had shared a look with Monica Mitro, muttered some words under his breath, and wrote something down before thanking her for coming. 

Scarlet squeezed her eyes shut, feeling slightly dizzy. “And…?”

Nina was silent for a moment, and even though she had been so cheerful at the beginning, Scarlet started wondering if it was just a façade not to let her down right off the bat.

“Guess who they wanna book for the 2018 show  _ and _ hire as a full-time Angel?”

Scarlet dropped her phone to the ground, covering her mouth with her hands, holding back a loud sob.

She was on the show. And moreover,  _ she was an Angel now. _

The redhead kneeled to pick up her phone, now uncontrollably crying. She heard Nina screeching on the other side of the line.

“Fucking congrats! You damn deserve it!” 

“Nina, thank you,” Scarlet managed to say between the sobs. “I— I can’t believe it. I’m an _ Angel _ . A  _ Victoria’s Secret _ Angel, no less!”

The newly proclaimed Angel put Nina on the speaker as she floated around the hotel room, dancing happily and maneuvering to put on some comfy pyjamas while doing so. Nina was saying something about a flight back to New York, so they could make the contract reading, film some interviews and whatnots.

Scarlet mentioned wanting to tell her sister about her contract, but Nina stopped her, reminding her about the company policy of not divulging the line-up or revealing the new Angels before time. 

The weeks of silence passed so painfully slowly. She wanted to shout from the rooftops that she was Angel, that she’d been given wings and would model for the most important fashion show of all time.

When the day arrived, Scarlet’s following skyrocketed and her bookings flooded — her face was everywhere: magazines, news, photoshoots she’d done for some brands long before now appeared on every big screen in the city that never sleeps.

Everything was going so well, so damn well, it took her off guard when things went downhill.

She was suddenly being marketed as Pearl’s little sister by Victoria’s Secret, and soon the media went along with that. 

_ “When little girls follow big sister’s steps." _

_ “Things you didn’t know about the new Victoria’s Secret Angel — Pearl Liaison’s half sister.” _

_ “Was Scarlet James contracted as an Angel just for being Pearl Liaison’s sister?” _

_ “Pearl Liaison and Scarlet James to be the first sisters to walk down the Victoria’s Secret runway.” _

Everywhere she looked at someone was saying her casting as an Angel was only due to Pearl. And, okay, she did mention Pearl once or twice in her interview, but that didn’t mean it was the reason she got the contract… right?

In the span of a month she went from flying across the sky with happiness, to wanting to bury herself alive if it meant she’d stop seeing such comments on her feed.

Suddenly, being an Angel wasn’t as awesome as before. 

\---

Yvie’s first impression of Scarlet wasn’t something out of this world, something groundbreaking or memorable. In fact, it was a complete opposite of those.

She was in the middle of an ocean of work, cinching and stitching her designs all by herself — if Yvette Bridges was known for something, it was her lack of trust when it came to letting other people help with her creations. She’d rather die before handing her precious designs to an intern.

It wasn’t uncommon for her to go MIA when a new show was approaching, going positively crazy and isolating herself from the world. That included her right hand and partner in crime, Shuga Cain. Shuga was always left to handle the important details once Yvie was in full-on hermit mode.

When two months were left to the show, and there was still a lot to do, Shuga stormed into Yvie’s sewing room, holding a folder with all the models she’d considered booking, determined to make her come out of her cave and put the designs aside for more than five minutes.

She found her cursing out loud while ripping off the bottom half of a red mermaid gown, saying something along the lines of “Fuck was I thinking when I designed this?”.

Shuga coughed a little to catch Yvie’s attention. Reluctantly, Yvie looked up, throwing aside the ripped skirt. The Latina sighed deeply, already predicting the mess that’d go down.

“My darling love,” she began in a sing-sang tone. “We seriously need your help picking the girls for the show, since _ someone  _ decided no model would ever strut on the runway without her permission,” Shuga deadpanned. Yvie groaned, taking a seat on a nearby chair.

“Fuck, do I really have to? I already have my hands full with reconstructing this dress.” She pointed at the garment she had previously torn apart. 

Shuga sighed. “Yes, you do. No one is willing to help you with it, after you fired that intern for booking the wrong model.” She shrugged and Yvie rolled her eyes.

“And you? Can’t you take care of it?” 

“Oh, sweet child, I’m already in charge of 99% of the show,” the Latina pointed out, cocking a brow. “Ma’am, I don’t get paid enough to do all of the shit I do. You’re lucky I consider you a good friend.”

Yvie scrunched her face and massaged her temples, feeling the caffeine wear off.

“I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll help you, I promise,” she said softly, making space for Shuga in the chair. Shuga sat besides her with a small smile. “So, do you have any personal favorites to headline the show? I’m like, super disconnected since I began with this collection and I have no idea which models are in now.” 

Shuga opened the folder, ignoring that little voice in her head that told her to choke Yvie with ribbons, and stopped on an specific girl.

“This is one of the new Victoria’s Secret Angels, Scarlet James, she’s obviously the model of the hour, little sister of Pearl Liaison. I think, if we book them both, it may attract more attention to the brand, and therefore the show,” Shuga explained, displaying a photo after photo of Scarlet and Pearl.

At first sight, there wasn’t anything about Scarlet that caught Yvie’s eye. She was just another model who got a very important contract that put her in the spotlight, nothing more. Her sister, however, was a different story; she had worked with Pearl before, and knew she was a professional through and through.

“I dunno,” Yvie muttered, “she looks pretty, there’s no denying that. But can she walk?” She questioned, Shuga sighed.

“I knew you’d ask that. Yes, bitch, she has a fierce walk. She walked for Alberta Ferretti along with her sister last year, remember I went in your name? I got to see her live. She’s good.”

Yvie chewed on her lip before finally giving in. “Alright, book her and Pearl.”

\---

Scarlet’s booking schedule was full, even fuller than before. She no longer had free weekends, and ran from here to there to be able to make it to fittings for different shows. But her priority, the one event she would always make time for, was the initial fitting for the Victoria’s Secret show.

Even when they made her life hell by branding her as just a copy of her older sister, she wanted to prove everyone she was more than that. Scarlet desperately yearned for the date to arrive, so she could show the world what she was made of.

Scarlet had been training so hard to be in shape for the show — the producers even hired a personal trainer for her, which was familiar with the Angels’ routine. Ryan had been soft for the first week, just because he knew she was extremely busy, but when week two began, Scarlet’s never ending pain did too. She had an amazing body by nature, she never needed to train as hard as her sister or fellow models. But she was an angel now, so she guessed that “a naturally fit body” wasn’t acceptable by Victoria’s Secret standards. 

The redhead arrived to the New York fitting along with Nina, with the nerves high to the sky. There were already many girls trying on their costumes and cameras filming the whole process. Scarlet took a deep breath before hesitantly stepping further into the room. She was really intimidated by all the important faces.

‘You are one of them now,’ she said to herself, ‘you  _ are _ on their level.’

“Scarlet! Welcome, come here,” one of the producers said, walking off to the door. Scarlet looked at Nina, who pushed her to start moving. Reluctantly, she followed the woman to a room full of costumes, with a wall completely covered in pictures of each of the models and sketches of their assigned outfits. 

“Since it’s very early on, there’s nothing sewed for any model yet, these,” she made a gesture towards the costumes around the room. “Are for the designers to draw inspiration from. We’ll begin by taking your measurements, and then we’ll see which color matches your skin tone the best.”

If Scarlet had to describe how the fitting went in one word, she’d probably say “out of this world” — even though she fully knew that wasn’t just one word, you can fight her. 

She got to know the other girls a little better, all of them really sweet and welcoming. The redhead took a shine to one of the girls particularly — Violet Chachki, one of the three newly confirmed Angels. Violet was Pearl’s best friend, or so she had told her. 

Either way, Violet was so kind and helpful. It was her third year doing the show, so she introduced the redhead to the other Angels and contracted models. Soon, Scarlet learned that when the Angels said they were a family, the term wasn’t used loosely. 

The only redeeming quality Victoria’s Secret had, Scarlet later thought, were the bonds one made out of it.

When they were on their way back to the hotel, Scarlet was going on and on about this silly story Raja, the last veteran standing, told the newcomers about her first show back in 1998, when it wasn’t televised yet, while Nina was going through her business e-mails, declining or confirming shows. 

Suddenly, Nina straightened up, causing Scarlet to stop her rambling.

“Is there something wrong?” she questioned. Nina shot her a worried look.

“I— for some reason this booking request escaped my eye, it’s not so old though, it’s been like four days or so…”

“Nina,” the redhead interrupted her manager’s rant, “It’s okay. Which show is it for?” 

“There’s this brand called Haus Of Oddly, that’s relatively new, but has become really famous because of Yvie Oddly’s countless love affairs with models that worked for her,” Nina explained. Scarlet rolled her eyes; she’d met plenty of designers that tried to bring her home with a promise of headlining their new collection. She had never fallen for any of those empty words. “Her next Spring/Summer collection debuts in two months, she wants you to walk in the show.”

Scarlet pursed her lips, instantly opening her calendar. Although she was fully booked at that moment, she didn’t have many shows for July, so she gave Nina green light to confirm her presence. Soon after, she browsed Instagram and looked up the brand; it surprised her how original and avant-garde Yvie’s designs were, and she wondered why people preferred to focus on her love life instead of her creations.

The redhead then thought that modelling for her wouldn’t be that bad, and a tiny smile appeared on her face as she added said show to her calendar.


	2. Only A Crush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya guys! Sorry for the long wait, I promise I'm back. In this chapter we get to know some of the other angels, as well as some info about the brand/show in case you're unfamiliar with it :)

Pearl had been an angel long enough to know the pressure the media put on them, so when Scarlet began to be branded as the “little sister following her steps” she wasn't surprised, honestly. She had seen it coming.

They barely spoke since the announcement, but Nina always kept her updated on her sister. She knew Scarlet had been absent minded every moment she wasn't on the runway or doing a photo-shoot, and had become a lot less talkative. That worried Pearl a lot; usually her sister wouldn't shut up, and would babble about everything and anything. It seemed that the media had gotten the best of her.

When Scarlet rejected her invitation to brunch before the last of the weekly fittings, Pearl felt a little hurt, but couldn't really blame her; Nina had told her how she felt like she didn't fit among the other angels, and how intimidated she was. Scarlet knew there was a target on her back for getting the angel contract without ever being on the show.

“It's a shame, really,” Raja began when Pearl informed them her sister wasn't coming due to her insecurities. “I met her on the very first fitting, she's a sweetheart,” she complimented her.

“ _ But _ ,” Manila interrupted, prompting Raja to roll her eyes. There she went again. “If she plans on being an Angel, she has to get a tougher skin. I went through hell and back in 2005 when Alexis got injured and I had to wear the Fantasy Bra instead of her. Do you have any idea how many newspapers accused me of intentionally hurting her?” she dramatized, gaining an eye-roll from some of the girls at the table. She always pulled out the same story. “And yet, here I am, retiring after two decades of working my ass off for the brand.” Manila sighed dramatically taking a sip from her drink.

“But, like, y'all weren't as involved in social media like as models are nowadays,” Naomi piped up, pointing at herself and the other new angels. “Y'all had to turn on the TV or buy a magazine to see the shit people were talking about you, we just have to scroll through our Instagram comments.”

Manila rolled her eyes and was about to go on a rant about how she despised the favoritism Victoria's Secret gave to Instagram models when it came to outfits, like she always did when the subject was brought up, when April stopped her.

“Anyway, moving down to a topic I’m sure everyone likes — who do y’all think will get the Fantasy Bra, Swarovski Outfit, and wings?” she inquired with a cheery tone. Soon the mood changed, as the girls began chatting excitedly about who they thought would get what this year.

The Fantasy Bra was a big deal for every Angel; it was the highest honor getting to wear one, and Angels would leave the brand before they ever got one. To this day, the only Angel that had worn it thrice was Ben DeLa, only to retire the exact same year she got her third Bra.

The Swarovski Outfit and Wings, however, weren’t limited to the Angels, any contracted model could get it if she was lucky enough. Still, it was an honor to wear said garments on the runway; the Swarovski artisans always did a beautiful job.

“I heard a rumour,” Monique said out loud, catching the other girls’ attention. “Apparently, the head producers are planning on giving the Swarovski outfit to a PINK girl for their segment.” There was an offended gasp across the table, except for Violet.

“Why are you all so offended? The PINK girls are extraordinary this year! I bet Alyssa Edward’s daughter will get it,” she commented. Alyssa Edwards had been one of the brand’s favorite angels, getting a total of two fantasy bras before her retirement in 2007. Her daughter, Patricia —or “Plastique” as she liked to be called— recently became a PINK spokesperson, so getting on the show had been a lot easier for her.

Naturally, being Alyssa’s daughter, there was a chance the producers would show some favoritism for her, and the older angels didn’t like that. They already had enough with the amount of Instagram models walking for the show in the recent years; they didn’t need any new favorite girl.

“Honestly, I think either Swarovski garment will go to Pearl’s sister,” Missy confessed, Pearl choked a little on her drink. “Like, I don’t mean to be rude towards your sister, honey; but she got the angel contract without  _ ever  _ being on the show. It just shows a big favoritism towards her already, and I don’t know about the others, but if this means I’ll get the scraps just so her and the Insta-models get the best outfits, I already don’t like her.” Pearl inhaled sharply when she heard the other Angels muttering in agreement.

There was no denying that Scarlet turning into an angel out of the blue did show preference by the head producers — when Pearl found out about it, she was euphoric at first, happy that her little sister got in. But then she began to think; how could that be, if she had never worked for Victoria’s Secret before? Not even a campaign or a catalog. As far as she knew, Victoria’s Secret hadn’t shown any kind of interest in her before.

There was a thought at the back of Pearl’s mind that she fought against; Victoria’s Secret hired Scarlet to turn her into the new Pearl — after all, she hadn’t renewed her Angel contract yet.

The table was silent, the other girls were waiting for an answer from Pear, but all they got was Liaison drowning her glass of wine in one sip and placing it down rather loudly.

“Y’all better get used to it, then, because my sister is here to stay.” She got up, got her purse, and walked towards the bathroom.

Once alone, she re-applied her lipstick as she thought about Missy’s words. She knew she was just speaking for herself, and the other girls didn’t necessarily agree on not liking her sister. They could mean they just didn’t like favoritism — neither did Pearl, really, but when it came to her sister, she had mixed feelings. On the one side, she knew how much Scarlet had worked to get there, and how sometimes they’d FaceTime and she’d tell Pearl her feet were bleeding after a day of hard work.

But the other, the Veteran Angel's one, was angry. She had to wait six years before she got the angel contract, and after working  _ eleven years _ for Victoria’s Secret, her first Fantasy Bra came just last year. So yeah, she loved and despised Scarlet’s addition to the Angel Team at the same time.

“Hey, Pearl? Are you okay over there?” Violet wondered, slowly entering the bathroom. Pearl scoffed, putting down her lipstick. Of course Violet was the one to check on her. She always was.

“I’m fine,” she muttered through gritted teeth. Violet cocked one of her perfectly painted brows.

“Darling, I know you to pieces. Missy really touched a sensitive spot for you, didn’t she?” The brunette inquired, leaning against the sink. Pearl rolled her eyes, sometimes she hated how well Violet knew her.

“It’s just...” she began, stumbling with the words. “I wanna be happy for my sister, I really want to, but, God, it just really bothers me how I’ve been working my ass off for Victoria’s Secret for the past twelve years and, and, how half of those years I was nothing but a contracted model, and suddenly Scarlet gets it without— She hasn't even been on that catwalk before! She’s never been rejected in a casting because  _ 'all you’re good for is showing off your body and modeling lingerie' _ ,” the blonde exclaimed, completely exasperated. “She has no idea what it’s like, Vi! And she got it just like  _ that _ !”

Violet was quick to reach for her friend’s hands and stroke them softly, nudging the back of them with her thumbs. Violet knew that did wonders for calming Pearl down.

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re allowed to feel like that, jealousy is a normal feeling, especially in cases like this,” Violet offered her a sympathetic smile, the blonde breathed in deeply. “You know you’re not the only one that feels like that — you’re perfectly aware that Scarlet knows it too, and is really ashamed after what the producers pulled off. But what’s done it’s done, and, y’know, you can’t really blame her for signing that contract. That paycheck is really generous.” Pearl laughed a little, muttering a “true” under her breath.

They stayed like that for a moment, in which Violet made bad jokes that no one with a common sense of humor would laugh at, but Pearl laughed either way, because nothing was common about her. And she liked it when Violet smiled and felt proud of herself for cheering her up.

In the middle of the chaos in her mind, Pearl wondered when would she find the courage to tell Violet all the words stuck in her throat and feelings suppressed in her chest.  _ One day _ , she kept promising herself every time her heart skipped several beats when she saw that perfect smile.

“We should head back to the table, I’m starving,” Violet suggested, letting go of Pearl’s hands.

Forcing a smile, Pearl nodded.  _ One day _ , she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please let me know with a comment if you liked the chapter! hit me up on tumblr @chachkisalpaca


	3. Only A Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!!! Thanks for the patience and for sticking with me even though last chapter came months late. In this chapter, your favorite fashion lesbians meet :D Thanks to Frey for beta-ing, I love you forever, babe.  
> Hope you like it!!! Comments are always appreciated ❤

Despite having been invited to after runway parties, Scarlet rarely attended any, only appearing for special occasions. After a show she was always tired, and longed for her bed and a good night of sleep — but tonight was different. Pearl was also invited to the party, and Lord knew how much she needed her sister.

They hung out arm in arm during the majority of the event, chit chatting and laughing in complicity like when they were younger and their backs and feet didn’t constantly hurt. Scarlet had a lot of stories to tell, now that she was more widely accepted in the fashion modelling world, and Pearl had a will to listen. She’d greatly missed spending time with her sister.

“…and then Nina stared the producer dead in the eye and said, ‘Miss James won’t be shooting any photoshoot wearing _that_ ’. He almost shitted his pants, and agreed to let me use faux fur,” Scarlet recalled, between sips of her champagne and a giggle here and there. Pearl listened to her sister in complete amusement. “I swear I don’t know what I would do without her, honestly.”

Pearl nodded in agreement. “If it wasn’t for Nina, you’d probably go MIA every other week and I’d be worried sick. So, yeah, I agree with you.” Scarlet rolled her eyes with a smile.

“Yeah, as if. I have bills to pay and cats to spoil.” Pearl cocked a brow, taking a mini-sandwich from the tray the waiter was offering her.

“I thought you didn’t have any pets?”

“Oh, I don’t,” she replied, shifting her weight to one foot from the other. “It’s just— I haven’t had a date in months, y’know? None of the people I meet seem to be interested in _me_ , but in what comes with _being_ with me. It gets frustrating. I think I’ll get a dozen cats at some point if this continues.” Her sister hummed, mouth now full of those mini-sandwiches.

Pearl swallowed and proceeded to try to cheer her up; she went through all the exact same things as her and had overcome them — well, she was still trying to, but she was getting there.

When Pearl was in the middle of her speech, Nina approached the pair with one of the biggest smiles Scarlet had ever seen on her. She could tell Nina had been up to something, Scarlet knew her manager like the back of her palm.

“Darling, smooth your skirt and check if your hair is right,” Nina requested, looking over her client to find any imperfections. Confused, Scarlet did as she was told, waiting for an explanation. “Yvie Bridges is going around meeting the models; she’s over there with her assistant talking to Rachelle Addams. Be prepared! She might come here next, and, God, you _have_ _to_ make a good first impression, so we might get booked for the next season,” Nina spoke fastly while gesturing with her hands, her gaze flickering between the redhead and somewhere in the venue.

Nina was one of the best managers in the business, having represented supermodels from all parts of the world, but somehow she still worried that her clients wouldn’t get bookings despite being the best paid models in the industry if they didn’t share at least a few words with the designers after each show. The blonde always got mild anxiety attacks when Scarlet ran away to her hotel room after finishing work, wondering why she was still representing her if she gave her constant headaches.

The answer hit her every now and again, every time she came back to the hotel and found Scarlet passed out in bed, still fully clothed, with a thread of saliva running down her chin, and had to carefully tuck her in bed; Nina loved Scarlet like a daughter she never had and would do anything to guarantee her a bright future in the modeling world.

That included immediately sucking up to Yvie’s toes when she approached them, arm in arm with her assistant, a glass of champagne in her hand.

“Miss Bridges! It’s so nice to finally meet you, I’m Nina West, miss Scarlet James’s manager,” Nina introduced herself with a shiny smile, shaking hands with Yvie. The designer smiled politely as she withdrew her hand.

Yvie looked over Nina’s shoulder, and for a brief second met an ocean-like blue gaze that made her heart do a jump. Soon, the owner of said eyes took a step forward, along with a blonde Yvie was already familiar with.

“Hello, miss Bridges, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Scarlet greeted, offering her hand to shake; instead, the brunette took it and placed a soft kiss on it — it wasn't anything out of this world, she did this with every model, but she didn’t miss the rosy tone gradually appearing on the redhead’s cheeks.

“The pleasure is mine, miss James.” Yvie then looked over at Pearl Liaison. “Miss Liaison, it’s so good to see you again.” She repeated the action with Pearl, looking at Scarlet out of the corner of her eye. The rosy tone had vanished from her face, and she could swear she saw some kind of brief disappointment in her expression.

Nevertheless, Scarlet put her shiny smile back on and reached for her sister’s arm, trying to get some confidence.

“Thank you so much for trusting in my sister and me, Yvie — and, please, we’ve been over this, just call me Pearl.” The blonde winked at her and Yvie chuckled. They weren’t really friends, but Pearl had participated in every show Yvie had ever done; they knew just enough about each other to maintain a friendly relationship. “Shuga, it’s always a pleasure to see you. That dress is amazing. From Óscar de la Renta’s new Summer/Spring collection, if I’m correct?” She wondered, making the Latina smile.

“ _Gracias, amor_ , and yes, it is. You have a good eye, darling,” Shuga complimented. Pearl reached for her glass of champagne on the table besides them and took a small sip.

“Meh, not really, I’m friends with the model that wore that dress in the show; besides, I was booked for it too.”

The conversation soon stepped into what a great season it had been for fashion shows, since they were becoming bigger and bigger each year, and more inclusive too; one of the highest paid models of the year didn’t fit the height standard most brands imposed the models, neither the required body measurements, yet each time Scarlet arrived to the backstage of a gig the girl was there, snapping pictures and answering interviews.

Yvie and Scarlet barely talked, the conversation flowing between Shuga, Pearl, and Nina instead, though Nina tried to push Scarlet into it more than once. The redhead just didn’t feel all that chatty that night, Nina guessed, wondering if there was something wrong. Scarlet always had something to say, be it good or bad, especially to designers on the rare occasions she attended after parties.

Scarlet emptied her glass of champagne and silently walked over to a near-by waiter to refill her glass. Once she’d accomplished her mission, she turned around to go back to Nina and Pearl, but was surprised to find Yvie Bridges walking in her direction, hands behind her back, and a look Scarlet couldn’t quite decipher on her face.

“Enjoying the party, miss James?” She inquired. The redhead briefly looked over at the others; they were looking at them with no intention of hiding it. Scarlet was tempted to cock a brow.

Either way, she gave Yvie a small, cordial smile. “I am. The food is delicious and the drinks are exquisite, so I guess there are no complains about that.” _Except I’d rather be sleeping in my bed and took these heels off,_ Scarlet thought, unconsciously trying to stretch her feet. They’d be swollen that night, no doubt about it. “And, please, just call me Scarlet.”

“Okay, Scarlet.” Yvie returned the smile, looking at the model from head to toe; she had to keep on greeting and thanking the other models, but there was something about Scarlet that made Yvie want to be closer with her. “I couldn’t help but notice your heels.”

The redhead cocked a brow. “My heels? What about ‘em?”

“They’re painfully uncomfortable, aren’t they?” Yvie inquired, catching Scarlet off guard.

“Well, yeah, but I cannot not wear them, the media… The media would talk, and I honestly just wanna get them off my back,” she admitted, rolling her eyes. “How’d you know, anyway? You don’t seem the type to wear six inch _Lola_ heels,” Scarlet asked back, curious about the answer.

“Not many people know this, but I used to model for local designers while I did my major in fashion,” Yvie commented, coming closer to Scarlet, almost as if she didn’t want anyone else to hear. The model gave a soft gasp, that she wasn’t expecting. “For some unholy reason, _Lola_ heels were pretty popular in Denver back then. Out of all the small shows I did, there were probably only one or two in which I didn’t have to wear them.”

Scarlet listened to every word Yvie spoke in amazement; she’d never think Yvie had a past in modelling, there wasn’t a single thing in her that could give it away. Except, perhaps, that fiery look she had as she walked, filled with confidence. Every good model had that look as they walked on the runway. Scarlet wondered what Yvie’s catwalk would be like.

They began to talk about Yvie’s old model days, the brand of heels they like the most, how was their life like before being famous, silly stories from when they were younger and didn’t know what the future held for them — anything, really. The conversation flowed without a problem or awkward silences. They just _fit_.

Yvie forgot she had other guests to attend to as she heard Scarlet giggle between stories, the whole world disappearing around them.

When it was time to say goodbye, Nina and Pearl informed Scarlet they’d wait for her in the car, Pearl briefly giving Yvie a warning look that thankfully escaped her sister's attention. Shuga just muttered something in Spanish towards Yvie as she jogged to join the other two women.

“Well, it was nice spending the night with you, Yvie,” the redhead said, getting shy all of a sudden. A smile spread across Yvie’s face, though on the inside she was disappointed they had to part ways.

“The feeling is mutual.” They began walking towards the entrance of the venue, finally noticing how it’s mildly empty, except for the staff cleaning up. “I hope I get to see you again soon, if that’s okay,” Yvie ventured, her hands sweating and knees weak for the first time in ages.

The smile Scarlet gifted her made her melt a little, but she’d never say that out loud.

“I’d like that a lot, actually.”

\---

  
  


The next morning, it was all over the news.

“… _The fashion designer Yvette Bridges was inseparable with new Victoria’s Secret Angel, Scarlet James, at the After Party for the launch of her new collection — all while her ex-girlfriend, Ra’Jah O’Hara, was mere meters away with her new girlfriend. Is Yvette Bridges trying to get back at her ex using the redhead bombshell Scarlet James?”_ Shuga read out loud, pacing through their hotel room. Yvie had her head buried in her pillow, pajamas still on, trying to block out every word Shuga had just said.

Her first thought was who the fuck invited Ra’Jah, so she could fire them; the second that she hoped Scarlet didn’t believe those lies.

“Well, that was fast,” Shuga commented, leaving her phone aside. “The media usually wait until you're drunkenly kissing some girl at a club.”

Yvie groaned, throwing a pillow at the Latina, who effortlessly evaded it.

“If that’s what I'm getting for wingwoman-ing you so well last night, I’m quitting this job,” she teased, making Yvie jerk her head up from the pillows.

“Excuse me? Explain,” the brunette demanded, sitting in the bed.

Shuga rolled her eyes. Sometimes Yvie resembled a naive teenager rather than a grown, experienced woman.

“Do you honestly think that after years of knowing you I wouldn't have noticed how you looked at Scarlet?” She began, and Yvie’s face went red. Sometimes she hated how well Shuga could read her. “As soon as she left I whispered to Pearl, asking if her sister was seeing someone. She looked a little surprised, but admitted that no; then, I asked her if she'd mind if I pushed you to talk with Scarlet, and Pearl was reluctant, ‘cause you can obviously tell she cares a lot for her little sister. But she agreed in the end, and that is when I convinced you to go on without me, knowing too damn well you’d just go to talk to her instead of socializing with the other guests. You’re predictable like that.”

Yvie sat there in silence for what seemed like ages, until she muttered an ‘I hate you’ under her breath. Shuga chuckled, not really offended by that; she knew she didn’t mean it.

The brunette’s next thought was, again, who the fuck had invited Ra’Jah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hit me up on tumblr @chachkisalpaca if you wanna know more about the next updates!


	4. Only A Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG, hopefully this time I actually give y'all more constant updates, with the new season hype and all. I'm going to slowly introduce the s12 girls, and miss Nicky will be the first one! Hope you like it, comments are so very appreciated 💕💕 Frey is an angel for beta-ing.

Fashion week is tiring, even when you’re not fully booked for it; Raja and Manila should know.

They’ve spent years assisting and walking for shows together, and at this point in their lives they know what’s better than the after parties - going back to their hotel rooms and getting some damn sleep.

They just came back from yet another fashion show; it was nice, and all the models did great, but, if they have to be honest, snuggling themselves against the sofa or the bed currently beats any gigi. 

“Have you heard the news on Pearl’s sister?” Manila asks out of the blue, while she’s scrolling through her social media, laying on the king size bed. Raja jerks her head up from her phone before answering.

“Yeah, I’ve heard,” she simply says, switching her position on the couch. “Why? Do you believe it?” Raja cocks a sly brow, already anticipating Manila’s response.

Manila hesitates before answering.

“I mean, I don’t know what went down at the after party…” She leaves the sentence hanging and Raja sighs, growing annoyed at Manila’s general disliking of Scarlet.

“Oh, bitch, don’t you dare. You know how the media works; remember when they accused you of cheating on your ex-husband that one time you had lunch with your fucking cousin?” Raja reminds her, and Manila rolls her eyes, and because Raja knows her, she can already hear her try to change the topic, refusing to accept she’s right.

Manila goes back to her phone shortly after, and Raja merely stares at her out of the corner of her eye. She and Manila have twenty years of friendship on their back, having met in a campaign for Christian Dior and strengthening their friendship thanks to Victoria’s Secret. They’ve been through it all, and never before she’d seen Manila so bothered about another model before.

There’s much more to it than a simple dislike, Raja knows it.

And of course Manila knows Raja to bits, too. So it’s not even necessary for her to bring it up, she just confesses it unprompted.

“She reminds me of myself,” she says through gritted teeth, and Raja stares at her, waiting for a more complex explanation. “Scarlet— I see myself in her. And I don’t mean it in a good way.”

Manila slowly meets Raja’s scrutinizing gaze, and when they stare at each other’s eyes, Raja can see it, understands what Manila means.

When she was barely starting in the business Manila never said no when she got booking offers, wanting to achieve the so precious supermodel status, and when she finally, _finally_ got to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel, the racist media ruined her happiness by making her second guess everything she did, believing, for a long time, that she didn’t deserve her wings.

Their cases aren’t the same at all, but when Manila looks at Scarlet walking around the fitting room with doubtful steps, thinking twice at every word she says during interviews, she’s reminded of her younger self.

And she hates it.

“I’ve gotten over it, I swear I did… But Scarlet just makes me remember all the nights I cried myself to sleep because of all the mean things the media said about me,” Manila confesses in a whisper, her voice cracking at times.

Raja gets up from the sofa and goes over to Manila, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“You know that isn’t an excuse for all the mean things you said to her, right?” Raja begins with a soft voice, Manila sighs with a nod. “Instead of talking shit about her behind her back, you could offer her your support, y’know? Like, she will make her own mistakes, but at least she should have someone to remind her that it’ll all pass.”

Manila gives her a skeptical look.

“Doesn’t she have her sister for emotional support already?” She inquires, and though she tries to make it sound snarky, Raja can sense the tinge of insecurity.

She smiles softly and reaches for Manila’s hand.

“It wouldn’t hurt if she had more than one person as her support system,” Raja points out. “And, y’know, you could start by not putting the other girls against her, or talking shit about her in front of her sister.” Manila lets go of Raja’s hand to cover her face in pure embarrassment.

“Yeah, I could do that,” she says in a soft mumble. “I regretted it the moment I said it, honestly,” Manila confesses, and Raja sighs, softening up her expression.

“That’s my girl,” Raja says, looking at Manila with fondness. Manila uncovers her face and meets Raja’s gaze, and for a moment they stay like that.

Though she doesn’t say, Manila knows Raja is absolutely crashed that she’s leaving Victoria’s Secret after all the things they went through together; the press conferences during which Manila wouldn’t let go of Raja’s hand because it was the only thing keeping her grounded, all the sleepovers at each other’s hotel rooms the day before each show, anxiously waiting for the sunrise with a cup or two of wine… All the time they snuck out of the camera’s view to steal a few kisses.

She sighs; perhaps what hurts the most about Manila leaving, is that she’s doing so with Raja’s heart.

*

“What do you mean they’re not renewing my contract?” Missy exclaims, raising from her seat and staring at Ginger in disbelief.

Her manager sighs, lighting her cigarette with shaky hands.

“Ed said it’s nothing personal, they’re open to negotiate, but they’d have to do some adjustments to your paycheck,” she informs her, taking a long drag. Missy’s jaw is on the floor.

She’s given Victoria’s Secret almost ten years of her life, starting when she was barely nineteen years old, still wet behind the ears. Now, at twenty eight, she had built an empire of her own, achieving the title of supermodel with her bare hands and bleeding feet.

It’s not fair. Not when she’s had just one Fantasy Bra and zero Swarovski outfits.

Almost as if she can see the thoughts circling her mind, Ginger comes closer to her, patting her shoulder.

“Listen, I don’t like this just as much as you. But, y’know, they gotta make room for the new generation.” Ginger shrugs and Missy digs her nails into her palms.

“I _am_ the new generation,” she says, trying to not let her voice crack. Her manager gives a sad scoff as she heads to the balcony.

“You _were_ the new generation, honey,” Ginger says, matter-of-factly, and something in Missy breaks. “That’s just how business is, baby.”

Missy stays still in her spot for a moment, hyperventilating. She eventually walks up to the closest mirror in the room and takes a look at herself. Her skin is still pristine, her hair is smooth, and - thanks to botox - she still doesn’t have any age lines.

But she’s not young according to the modeling world standards.

Her name might be a powerhouse, she might be one of the highest paid models, but the fact that she’s slowly losing followers among the younger audiences is one that she dreads due to its inevitability.

Missy is also very aware of the fact that the Angels don’t really _hate_ the Instagram models per se; they’re jealous. Utterly and hopelessly jealous — they’re pretty, young, and their large masses of followers guarantee them more booking opportunities.

And Victoria’s Secret favoritism.

Her phone vibrates in her pocket and it reminds her that she has to be at the venue of her next gig in an hour.

She smiles, trying to compose herself; if this is going to be her last year at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, she might as well make the producers regret not renewing her contract.

*

“You came!” Nicky screeches excitedly, launching herself into Violet’s arms.

“Just like I promised,” Violet says, hugging her tight. “I wouldn’t miss your first American show for nothing in the world.” She gives Nicky’s shoulders a squeeze, smiling widely.

Violet knows Nicky like the back of her hand, and she can definitely tell Nicky is nervous despite appearing calm and collected; they’ve been friends since she moved to France, almost five years ago — Nicky was her first friend there, helping her adjust to the cultural differences with the European Modeling world.

Now, it’s time Violet pays the favor back and helps Nicky, now that she’s branching to America too.

“I know fashion shows usually take their time, but God, if I have to wait one more minute I’m going to break the ‘no smoking in the venue’ rule and pull out a cigarette,” she huffs a little, re-adjusting her robe. Violet laughs, remembering the days where they chain-smoked at the backstage of many shows without anyone batting an eye.

Not a day goes by in which she doesn’t miss Paris, with its sleepless nights and bright lights.

“God, I know, right? But I guess it’s a good thing, the non-smoking models always complained about us,” she says with a laugh that makes Nicky smile, chuckling slightly.

“Who _didn’t_ complain about us?” Nicky cheekily replies, and Violet smirks. They were twenty two and their careers were starting to take off, but that didn’t mean they didn’t cause their managers a few headaches here and there, or messed a little with the snarky production members.

It was fun, but times change and careers get bigger, and they decided to wise up before losing gigs for their immaturity.

Which, speaking of, a production member taps on Nicky’s shoulder to indicate her that she has to go get changed. She gives Violet another tight hug and Violet presses a kiss on her forehead, wishing her luck in French.

Violet sneaks back to the seats and reunites with Pearl and Scarlet, who seems a little bit better in comparison of the nervous mess she was just two days ago, after the fake rumors started circulating.

She still feels sorry for her; the girl is a sweetheart, and she doesn’t deserve all the shit she’s been getting from the media.

“Hey,” Pearl mutters, removing her purse from the chair she’s been saving for her. “Where’d you been?” She inquires, curiously looking at her. Violet smiles a little.

“Oh, I just went backstage to say hi to a friend, Nicky, I think you know her; this is her first American show,” Violet rambles, feeling like a proud mother.

The name rings a bell on Pearl’s mind, but before she can say anything, Scarlet leans in a little and looks at Violet with her mouth open.

“Nicky as in, _the_ Nicky Sanchez?” Scarlet asks, gasping a little. Violet nods giddily. “No way! I met her at Paris Fashion Week last year — her walk is so amazing, sometimes I think that if I look into her eyes for too long she’ll stab me, and honestly, I wouldn’t complain,” Scarlet comments, causing Violet to laugh loudly and attract a few weird looks from the rest of the audience.

“That’s totally the vibe she always goes for; Lord knows I thought the same sometimes,” Violet replies, leaning a bit to talk better to Scarlet over the noise.

“You say that as if you don’t go for that same vibe all the time,” Pearl says, and Violet rolls her eyes, pinching her cheek a little.

“Oh, shut up, miss ‘bedroom eyes’,” she teases her, trying to mimic the look that made Pearl famous.

The lights are dimmed and Pearl resorts to pinching Violet’s arm in return, straightening up her back.

Before they notice it, the typical fashion show music starts to blast through the venue, and the first model comes from around the corner; it’s none other than Alyssa Edward’s daughter, Patricia, looking as ethereal as she always does, with a fiery look in her eyes.

“Alyssa’s taught her well,” Violet comments, mesmerized by her.

Violet’s not sure how many models went after Patricia and before Nicky, but once she saw Nicky’s face at the end of the runway, she started recording with a giant smile on her face.

She hears Pearl sigh under her breath at the sight of Nicky, and Scarlet gives an excited squeal barely audible over the noise in the venue.

Violet sighs giddily; it is what Nicky deserved.

Out of the corner of her eye she catches Pearl looking at her with an emotion she can’t quite put a finger on, but she doesn’t think much of it.

*

It took a lot of begging to convince Scarlet to stay for the after party; mostly because she knew Yvie was invited too, and she had yet to answer her DM on Instagram.

So what if she was trying to avoid her? Scarlet never said she isn’t a coward — she is, and she doesn’t feel ashamed because of it, thank you very much.

She’s holding onto Pearl’s hand for dear life as they navigate around the venue, looking for Violet; she said she was going to the bathroom, like twenty minutes ago, and has yet to come back, though at some point Pearl says to Scarlet that it wouldn’t surprise her to find out she’s taking mirror selfies in the bathroom.

“She’s like Alyssa Edwards if you give her a mirror, y’know? She’d do all sorts of crazy faces, trying to practice her looks for the runway. Violet is like that, except she just pulls out her phone and ends up taking like, a hundred pictures with little to no variation,” Pearl tells her between laughs and Scarlet gives her an amused look.

“You seem to know a lot about her,” Scarlet comments, accepting a glass of champagne a waiter offers her.

Pearl bites the inside of her cheek at the same time an almost imperceptible blush invades her face.

“Well, she’s my best friend,” she simply says with a shrug, but Scarlet isn’t buying it at all.

She knows her sister, and if the way she looks at Violet means anything, it certainly isn’t friendship.

“Yeah, sure—”

“Guys!” Scarlet is abruptly interrupted by a voice she can’t recognize; they look around until they spot Katya, a very pissed off Missy tugging along. 

Scarlet gulps, freezing in her spot — she’d met Katya and Missy at the first fittings, and even though they were both very kind and welcoming, there was something in them that made Scarlet doubt about their intentions. Especially from Missy.

Still, Pearl gave them both a tight hug, and Scarlet limited herself to a kiss on the cheek.

“I didn’t know you guys were invited too! I didn’t see anything in the group chat,” Pearl says and Scarlet cocks a brow. They have a group chat?

Katya sighs dramatically and elbows Missy.

“This one had a meltdown because she couldn’t find anything to wear, and then had another meltdown because she didn’t like how she looked—”

“And I _still_ don’t like how I look; it’s too basic,” she interrupts Katya with an eye roll. Katya gasps offended, clasping a hand over her chest.

“Bitch, how dare you! That’s my dress!” Missy snorts, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“Oh, I know, and if I can’t pull it off, imagine how you look in it, sweetheart,” she mocks her, and Katya punches her in the arm playfully.

“I think you look beautiful,” Scarlet admits, and it’s true; Missy’s wearing a short, asymmetric olive dress with her hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. She looks amazing, but what else is new.

Missy seems surprised for a moment, but soon she gives Scarlet a small smile.

“Thank you, you look nice too,” Missy compliments her, and by her doubtful tone, Scarlet assumes she’s not used to giving compliments that often. She bites back a toothy smile. “It’s nice to see you outside the fittings; we’ve been _dying_ to get to know you better.”

Pearl cocks a brow, her expression suddenly hardens, and Scarlet has no idea why.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what you said during Brunch the last time we were together,” Pearl says, her tone full or irony. Missy gulps and Katya looks as if she wants to leave.

“So, uh, have you guys seen Violet? We’ve been looking for her,” Scarlet asks lightheartedly, and soon Katya goes back to her cheery smile.

“Oh, wasn’t she in a corner with that French model, Nicolette is it? They looked _very_ close, didn’t they, Missy?” Katya answers with a mocking tone, softly elbowing Missy’s side again.

Missy snorts and Scarlet doesn’t miss Pearl’s eye roll.

“Oh, yeah, _definitely_ ,” Missy confirms and Pearl huffs, taking a sip from her own drink.

Scarlet stifles a laugh when she sees how her sister folds her arms and informs the pair in an exasperated tone that Violet and Nicky are _just friends_.

Her eyes roam around the room and a smile breaks into her face when she notices her good old friend Ariel Versace a few meters away, and she excuses herself to go say hi.

She’s halfway there when she feels a quick tap on her shoulder, and when she turns around, the smile freezes on her face upon seeing Yvie.

Yvie’s wearing a perfectly tailored white suit, and the sight of her knocks all the air out of Scarlet’s lungs. Damn it, how can she be so pretty?

“Yvie, hi,” she awkwardly greets her, the smile on her face trembling.

“Nice to see you again, Scarlet,” Yvie says, smiling calmly. She bites the inside of her cheek before speaking, trying to not let her voice quiver. “How have you been? I, uh, I’ve checked on you once all those crazy rumors started circulating, but you didn’t answer and I was kinda worried. Y’know, since you were pretty silent on social media too,” she rambles a little, and Scarlet inhales a sharp breath.

She actually never opened those messages, her utter embarrassment and desire to hide taking the best of her, but knowing Yvie was actually just checking on her made her heart flutter.

“Oh,” is all she can muster. Scarlet licks her lips and tries to form a coherent sentence. “I’m— I’m fine, really. I just… I don’t know, preferred to evade everything until things calmed down? I don’t have the energy to deal with the media after— never mind.” She dismisses it with a wave of her hand, and Yvie knits her brows in a frown.

“Please, tell me, I do mind,” she assures her, reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze.

Scarlet’s heart starts to hammer violently against her chest, and she’s sure that, if there was less noise around them, Yvie would be able to hear her heartbeat.

She swallows thickly, feeling all rational thoughts abandon her.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell you…”

Scarlet comes closer, and suddenly all Yvie has eyes for, is her.

She tells her without going too deep how the media ruined her confidence by degrading her to a shadow of her big sister, a copycat; Yvie just listens, her concern growing as Scarlet's tone becomes more annoyed.

At some point she stops herself and sighs, staring at the glass of champagne without bubbles in her left hand.

“I’m sorry, I probably bored you already,” she sheepishly says, but Yvie shakes her head with a soft smile.

“Not at all, if anything, I’m happy you trust me enough to vent your feelings,” Yvie says, making a soft blush appear all over Scarlet’s cheeks.

Scarlet bites her lower lip before talking. “Do you, um, do you think we could, like, get to know each other without having to run into each other at an after party?” She inquires, her voice is full of doubt and she’s doing her best at stop her legs from trembling.

The smile Yvie gives her isn’t helping at all.

“I think that could be arranged,” Yvie assures her, and by the look she’s giving her, Scarlet somehow thinks she didn’t understand she meant as in, exchanging phone numbers.

Not that she’s complaining.

*

“I’m starting to get worried about Violet,” Pearl says, and Missy scoffs.

“Why? Between you and her, Violet’s the less prone to do something stupid,” she mocks her, making Katya laugh loudly.

Pearl folds her arms, still feeling uneasy.

“Maybe she’s still with her ‘friend’,” Katya offers as an explanation, snickering along with Missy.

The blonde merely sighs, going back to look at her sister. She’s been talking with Yvie for a long moment now, and she doesn’t miss the way Scarlet throws her head back when she laughs at something Yvie said.

She cocks a brow; and to think just days earlier she wouldn’t stop going off on long rants whenever Pearl suggested she should give Yvie a chance.

Pearl’s attention drifts from the conversation going on between Katya and Missy, and instead she pulls out her phone, checking the time. She chokes back a gasp when she notices it’s almost an hour since Violet disappeared.

She presses call on her contact, and she excuses herself from the girls, trying to find a quieter place in case Violet picks up.

But she doesn’t.

It rings once, twice, thrice; until it goes straight to voicemail.

Pearl insists again, and again, and again — but Violet doesn’t answer.

She inhales a shaky breath as she reunites with the girls and tells them to try to text Violet, but none of them get an answer from her.

*

Violet has no idea how she ended up sneaking from the party to make out with Nicky in an empty cleaning closet, nor how much time has passed.

She’d be lying if she said she never felt any kind of attraction towards her, thinking about sleeping with her more than once when they practically lived together back in France.

But this? Not in her wildest dreams she would’ve imagined this would end up happening.

Nicky’s lips start to trail down her neck just as her phone goes off - Pearl’s assigned ringtone blasting in the silence. She aims to reach for it, but Nicky grabs her wrist.

“Ignore it,” she orders her, and Violet can’t be bothered to disobey.

Pearl can wait; it’s not as if she’ll miss her, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my tumblr is @chachkisalpaca !! come say hi!!!

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on my tumblr!! @chachkisalpaca :))


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